Zulu Witch Doctor 1879

How were Zulu witch doctors selected, did they have to prove they had special powers. Or is it something that was handed down through generations. 

What was the process for doctoring the warriors prior to battle, did the witch doctors accompany the Impi's to war or remain at the royal house hold. 

The body parts removed from the dead, what were they used for, and which parts were taken. 

Just a few questions?

Hi ctsg, they went to school..basically
those interested in these arts approached
their future teacher and was effectively
apprenticed to him for several years till he\
she was confident enough to pay their tea-
cher, then they simply set up their own
practice in their locale. sauce.A.T.Bryant.

incidentally any body who has his book ' Zulu
medicine and medicine-men..would you please
post the only illustration. as im still ignorant
re posting images\vids.thank you regards Les.

CTSG
Not at home at present, once I am, I will look up Credo Mutwa.

Cheers

Hi CTSG,

I am sure that the mysterious practises of the Zulu witch doctors puzzle many who dont know the lore.
So, I looked up what  Robert Samuelson had to say about this in his book "Long  Ago". Robert was the son of a Norwegion missionary and was raised deep in Zulu country on the mission station run by his parents at St Pauls which is near Eshowe. In his day he was known as the top  linguist and fundi on Zulu culture in the country.
His use of  language in his book  is a little quaint, but here goes.

quote;
The individuals who rejoice in the names, ( in the header ) are that part of the native population which represents the lowest strata of human life , always bent on and working on the destruction of life , liberty  peace and happiness. They have no redeeming point about them.
The Imingoma, otherwise called Izangoma  and the Izanusi, though differently named , carry on the same practises. The Imangoma derived their appelation from the fact that when they enter upon the noviate in the practise which they intend to carry on, wander about chains of mountains and live (almost as a feral) on roots etc for survival, until they are reduced to skeletons and begin to rave. The Izanusi is the other name for the Izangoma and is derived from Anula , the zulu word  that expresses  "to unravel  secret and undescoverable things" ; the word really coming from the causative to or assist in doing what Anula commands.
Abathakti are those who have taken up the avocation of compounding concoctions and poisons and travelling about at night carrying out their nefarious work of using these compounds for the destruction and injury of their fellow man. The singular Zulu word for Abathaki is Umthakathi , which is a verbal noun from Thaka, ie to compond (medicines).
Imikhovu  are those imaginary human beings , of pigmy size (tokoloshe), which it is said are the messengers of the Abathakathi, the tips of whose tongues , it is said have been cut off by their principals to prevent them from revealing secrets, should they be caught. They are commissioned by their principals to carry out their work and it is said they frequent cemeteries , exhume the dead, and take portions of exhumed bodies for their principals, and by our standards would be known as ghouls.
The Izinwelaboya are real human beings , who go about seizing any lonely traveller, killing  him and cutting  off snips from all imaginable parts of the body, ie taking off hair from all parts, and use same with their other nostrums, to carry out their work of harm and poisoning .
It would seem incredible to most readers that such people do exist , but I can vouch for one example of their work, which came under my personal observation in Zululand many years ago. It was near Red Hill (Nthaba Ibomvu), a remote, weird and uncanny place, just three miles from my old home near the Inkwenkwe Hill , where there was found by passers by, a dead Zulu, cut open , pegged out like the skin of an animal would be pegged out to dry, with numerous parts of his face and genitals missing. The culprit was never found......,

unquote

So, the butchery at Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift was very must part of the culture.

Samuelson was the leader of the Driefontein Scouts and it was he who led this group of christian Zulu (aBakolwe), ie Molefe, Kkambule, et al, from Edendale, into battle against Ceteswayo in support of his colonial masters. Many acts of very conspicios gallantry were committed by these men in battle, but they were never recognised or rewarded.  

It was also Samuelson, along with Advocates Schreiner, Renaud and Miss Harriet Colenso who led the defence of King Dinizilu ka Cetewayo Zulu, at his trial in Greytown.  


regards

barry

One of the recognisable points of a sangoma is the lack of hair on the inside of the left leg. This is, by tradition, because they travel around on hyenas, sitting on the back almost side saddle and running with the left leg, thus causing the hair to be rubbed of the inside of the leg.
So gentlemen when you go to bed this evening take a sureptious look at your good ladies legs, if theres no hair there then be afraid, very afraid  

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Conductor Kagore (b. 1954)
Using his magic powers the N'anga (witch doctor) rides on a hyena to faraway villages.
Source: Flickr William Andrus.

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Zulu witch doctor, human skull, South Africa

Mpatshana Ka Sodondo

" Thw War Doctors. a son of Manembe, viz. Ndwetshe of the Dumisa people,
and a son of Kondhlo, viz.Manyelindhlele of the Mazibuko people, were the
principle ones. these were the great men who doctored the circle of men,
when all the great men and the adult males of Zululand were gathered to-
gether. These are the ones upon whom devolved the duty of roasting the
meat of the Bull. after these came Nkamba Ka Magidigidi of the Nsibande
people. these Doctors were all men of Zululand. they were in charge of
Doctoring the Imi at Ndondakusuka.

When the Isandhlwana affair occured, we had a Msutu Doctor. i do not know
his name. he made a mark to be made thus, with black powder ( umsizi ).
( diagram of a simple face showing a vertical black mark straight down the
middle of the forehead to the bridge of the nose.) cheers

springbok9 wrote:

So gentlemen when you go to bed this evening take a sureptious look at your good ladies legs, if theres no hair there then be afraid, very afraid

  There are some things I'd rather not know at this point...